Over the Skies of London: A Steambirds: Survival One-Shot
by Spirit9871
Summary: One man was all that stood between the German Armada and another glassed Paris. And that man was Felix Augustine. Disclaimers: (Based off of Spryfox's game: "Steambirds Survival") (Lyrics translated from the Japanese song: "Tsubasa Wo Kudasai" ("Give Me Wings") by Sanjou Michio) (Cover by: Spryfox)
1. The Gassing of London

A/N: So lately, I've been into this game called "_Steambirds: Survival_", and thought; "Hey, this might actually make an epic fanfiction!" Sure enough, being the writer I am, I decided to write something up for it, and for the first time ever, write a one-shot on something absolutely non-Madness Combat. So for those of you who have been following me for my Madness Combat stories, do not worry. I am working on the next chapter of my latest story alongside this simple one-shot. This was just something I wanted to write for a long time since it was just stuck in my head.

Now then, as for those of you who are here for the _Steambirds_ fanfiction tribute, get ready, because this is going to be one Hell of a ride. This fanfiction will be hard for those of you who don't know what _Steambirds_ is, so let me brief you a bit (you may skip over the gray faded line if you already know this game to get to the fanfiction).

_Steambirds_ is based on airplanes dog-fighting in World War II. The original game has multiple missions; each with a historic event that occurs for you to command your planes and take down the German forces.

After the original series received a lot of positive reviews, the creator, Spryfox, decided to make a sequel called "_Steambirds_: _Survival_" (The topic I will be writing about). This game is a lot more different with more mechanics. "_Steambirds_: _Survival_" tells the story of a single brave pilot that takes flight on the plane he chooses against the invading German forces on October 15th, 1940 in London, England. Because this attack was unexpected, the pilot is only aided by a few ally planes which are downed soon after flight. As for the pilot himself though, he takes down as many enemy planes as possible while fighting to stay alive (though that is impossible since he is outnumbered 1000 to 1). By doing so, he does his best to buy some time for the British people to escape before being gassed by the Germans. However, there is no hope for he himself of staying alive.

So, with that quick backstory over with, let's get right to it. This story was inspired by the game itself and Sacrom574's "The Last Stand".

Let's go!

* * *

_**Over the Skies of London: A Steambirds Survival One-Shot, Part One:**_ **THE GASSING OF LONDON**

* * *

_What has he gotten himself into THIS time?_

* * *

**Name: Felix Augustine**

**Age: 25**

**Rank: Cadet**

**Position: Pilot**

* * *

Felix already knew he was dead. The second he placed himself into this plane, he knew he was already dead. The Germans were coming on strong.

And this time, they're not leaving any survivors.

He clenched his hands on the lever he held tightly. He was already airborne, so there was no stopping him now.

Then, a signal came through the radio:

"_What in bloody Hell do you think you're doing, Cadet?"_

Felix sighed. The General never really did like him, and doing this only made things worse. He decided to go with a witty comeback.

"…Fighting for my country…_sir_."

"_Your country!? You're just a Cadet! I chose my best pilots for this; not some low-ranking scouts! What made you think I would appreciate the fact that you had just hijacked Second Lieutenant Finlay's plane!? Get back down here before the Germans get you!"_

"…I'm sorry, sir. I just can't do that. Not now. Or ever."

"_What!?"_

"Scream all you want, but I'm not listening to you."

A dead silence followed; the General expecting the mandatory "sir" that would follow the sentence.

It never came.

"_How DARE you speak at me with such foul tone! Get back down here so I can smack some sense in you, you no good, godforsaken-!"_

"Goodbye." Felix cutoff the higher-up with.

And then silence. This time though, the silence was here to stay.

Felix continued traveling the straight path to the battlefield. In his possession was a Looper-P200; the finest plane that the British had in their hands. It was fairly simple stealing the seat from the Second Lieutenant; before Finlay could take his seat, Felix ran in, shoved him out, and drove off with the plane before anyone could stop him. An unexpected hijack, really.

Was it stupid?

Yes.

Was he proud of it?

_**Yes.**_

By the time the clouds had dispersed and he had reached his destination, Felix almost lost his breath. There was a Behemoth NN10; the largest aircraft known to man at that time.

Felix looked around. His allies were as follows:

_Two Bart-B14s_

_And three Stinger-H11s_

They were all already in the battle, meaning that it wouldn't take long until each one of them would be downed and out.

Felix continued flying straight; his palms starting to get sweaty. The Behemoth was only getting bigger by the second, and if he didn't think of something fast, then he would be shot down in a minute.

Looking down at the controls in front of him, he remembered that the Looper was packed with five lock-on missiles. His guns would be jammed for only a few minutes, so it would be the perfect opportunity to use them.

Continuing his assault, Felix fired a single projectile at the Behemoth.

_Direct hit._

As the Behemoth went down, Felix could hear the two screams of his own allies in the Bart-14s before hitting the Earth.

"_**Oh dear God, I'm Going Down!"**_

"_**Going Down!"**_

This was followed by static and two deafening crashes. Felix tried to ignore it. Because he knew it was only a matter of time before he would join them.

Following straight behind what used to be the Behemoth was a Dart NN05 and an Otto NN10. Felix continued traveling straight; easily taking down both aircrafts since they were already weakened.

On the other hand, the rest of the Stingers took a different route to a much larger target: a Spotter NN20.

"No, you fools! You're going to die if you go that way; STOP!" Felix shouted in desperation over the radio.

"_What does it matter to you, Felix; you thief! We will die regardless, so let Death take us with these Germans appetizers!" _One pilot yelled.

"_Long live the Royal Family!"_ The second added.

Felix said nothing back to either of them. He turned his plane around to follow them; false hope plaguing his heart.

But even with the incredible speeds of the Looper, it was too late. Felix would only watch as the Spotter would go down along with his three comrades.

"_**Going Down!"**_

The sentence was repeated three times by different voices and followed by crashes that made Felix's heart slump lower and lower.

Felix gulped. Now it was official.

_He was all alone._

**Him against the whole German Armada.**

Felix shook his head.

No.

He was the one to seal his doom. Nobody else was to blame.

And he would let his people escape before the gas could touch them.

After Felix had shot down the Spotter that took his allies' lives, he made a 180 to aim for the planes hi-tailing him.

The signal from HQ came back on.

"_You're really going with this, aren't you, you fool?"_

Felix said nothing as he downed two more Otto N10s.

"_Well, at least say something before you die, Cadet."_

"Yes. I am. Tell Finlay I'm sorry that I had to do this to him. That I took away his chance of honor. And tell him to take care of his family."

The General said nothing to this. After a few seconds had passed, Felix had taken down another duo of planes without a scratch. The General finally tore the tense silence.

"_You now refuse to call me 'sir', anymore, Cadet Augustine? What happened to your manners? I remembered you have plenty."_

"That is just your memory. Memories fade with time. And so shall I."

More silence. More planes downed.

"…_If this is what you want, then so be it. With every minute, you give 100 homes to escape. With every hour; 1,000. Godspeed pilot."_

Felix nodded, as if the General could see him now. There was a click, and the signal was temporarily cut.

The young pilot watched as more planes appeared from the cloudy horizon. It seemed as though every plane he would take down, two more would take its place.

Suddenly, Felix realized he was boxed in. With a flash of his memory, he remembered that the Looper worked particularly well revolving around 360 Degrees.

**He would use it.**

Felix twirled the lever around; feeling his stomach go queasy as he made one full circle around him and spraying bullets everywhere. He jerked forward when he felt some of the enemy's projectiles hit his own machine.

"Damn it!" Felix hollered.

But it was all right. Whoever had shot him was dead by now after the stunt he pulled.

The next wave followed after the last two. Seeing that there was resistance however, the Armada decided to come in with much more menacing forces.

**Turtle PN10s and more Dart NN05s, alongside multiple Otto NN10s and Spotters.**

Felix could easily handle the Ottos and Spotters; they were slow and their range of fire was laughable. The real problem were the Turtles and the Darts; they were much faster than the normal brand of enemy airships and can deal devastating effects as well, especially the PN10s. Not only could they fire from the front, but they can deliver toxic gas from any aircraft behind them. Felix's only option for attack was to either slow down during a head-on battle, or, more preferably, to attack from the side where none of the firepower can stretch out to him.

_**And then there were the Dusters.**_

The DusterPN10s are one of the main players in this battle. With practically little to no armor on them and no guns to fire from; these planes served no purpose other than to charge into the enemy like suicide bombers, and (hopefully) gas them out. In addition, their speeds were remarkable; far faster than any other plane mankind has produced so far. However, as long as Felix was savvy enough to avoid coming too close from behind, then they shouldn't be a problem either.

Making a swerve to the left, Felix shot down yet another two Ottos and a Duster. He continued turning until he was met face-to-face with a dreaded Turtle. As planned though, he slowed himself down to prevent coming too close into the German plane's range, and fired. After a dozen bullets or so, the engine finally gave way, and the aircraft began plummeting down to the earth below.

_"More scouts are approaching. The full armada can't be far off now."_

The General's sudden voice nearly gave Felix a heart attack as he spun once more in a full circle; guns flaring wildly to down any nearby foes.

A Dart and another Otto bites the dust.

"Thanks for the positive reinforcement." Felix sarcastically replied.

The General on the other hand, was not so lax.

"_Cadet, listen carefully; what you're facing right now is __**nothing**__ compared to what's coming ahead. Once they realize you're still in the air after multiple waves, the enemy will be relentless. Do __**not**__ lower your guard for even a second; these men have shown no mercy in the face of Death."_

"Understood."

Another click set the radio off and Felix was left all alone once again; swerving left and right to escape any fields of fire the enemy may impose on him, as well as shooting down more and more planes for Death to feast on. But the Axis wouldn't stop coming; **this was their final push before their dreams die.**

Suddenly, without any signal or warning, a Duster had flown across from him. Felix managed to shoot it down, only to find that he was driving into the cloud of inescapable poison gas.

Not realizing the gas was even entering his plane; Felix took a deep inhale at exactly the wrong moment. He gasped and choked; lungs burning like fire. Just as the General predicted, the Germans showed no mercy as they sped up and took this moment of opportunity to fire at Felix. Bullets peppered him from almost everywhere; metal clanging with metal.

_"FELIX!"_

Somehow, the General mentioning his first name had snapped the young pilot back into his senses. He made another full rotation to take down any of the daring planes that stormed in on him while he was busy trying to clear out the toxins.

Felix drove faster to escape any other attacks and to have more time to recollect himself. The Looper on the other hand, was starting to show visual weakening; **the backside billowing with black smoke instead of a healthy white.**

_**The skies grow dark, but not with clouds…**_

* * *

A boy, barely the age of six, stood with the audience and watched the skies in pure amazement; as Bristols zigzagged and performed other astonishing stunts for the viewers to marvel in. It was the year 1919; 20 years prior to the start of World War II, where Germany invaded Poland and enslaved its people for expansionism.

_17 years before all of the real problems began._

The boy's eyes widened; mouth agape, while the small planes rotated and looped around each other. The crowd was filled with "ooh's" and "ahh's" with every trick the pilots displayed.

Hearing footsteps coming towards his general direction; the child looked to his right and made a wide grin.

_His father made it just in time._

"Papa!" the youngling excitedly yelled.

Turning to where the familiar voice came from, the man sighed in relief.

"There you are, Felix. For the love of all things good; please, _don't run off like that while I'm not looking_. I was worried sick that something might have happened to you." He scolded.

Felix lowered his head. "I'm sorry Papa. I won't do it again."

The man stared at his son for a few moments, then chuckled at the youthful innocence his child had.

"It's alright. Now then, why did you just decide to scurry off here all of a sudden?" he questioned.

Beaming, Felix pointed towards the sky where planes droned.

"Look Papa! They're making a show!"

Felix's father looked upwards. He smiled.

"Indeed they are."

In response to this, Felix rambled on about the unbelievable performance the pilots had set up so far as he tried to describe every detail; regardless of how minuscule they may be.

"Felix." His father suddenly cut off his son.

"What is it Papa?"

"There's something important I need to tell you."

The enthusiastic smile on Felix's face melted away by his father's tone.

_It was never a good sign when he talked like that._

"What is it Papa?" He repeated, only with fear and worry in his voice this time.

The man gulped, knowing what heavy burden he was about to put on his son. But he had to say it now; at least to give some time to let his news sink in.

"…Would you be sad if your father went away for a long time?"

"Of course Papa!" Felix shouted back; shocked that his father would ask such a question and not know the answer, "I would be very sad!"

"Well…" the man said with a defeated sigh, "…It turns out, your father has to go to war, and…he might not be able to see his family for a long time."

Felix's heart sank.

War?

Any child would be scared straight the second they heard the mere word itself. The tales of the endless carnage as man fought man were far worse than any fear a youth may have about the Boogeyman.

**And worst of all…they were **_**real**_**.**

"Why?" Felix asked.

"Because the Russians need our help fighting the Germans. The British promised to give them our support. So along with the volunteers, the government chose people they thought that knew how to fight. And, well…they chose _**me.**_" The man answered.

Felix looked down at the ground; this time in a sorrow far more intense than when he was scolded.

"No Papa…please stay. Don't go. You know Mama's heart won't handle it."

"I know," the man answered with a nod as he kneeled down to his son's height, "but I must, for my country calls me. You have to be strong."

"But I don't want to be strong! I want my Papa!" Felix yelled; ready to cry.

The man placed a hand on Felix's shoulder.

"Please, Felix. Don't make this too hard on me, yourself, or your mother. You have to stay strong. Be the man of the house while I'm gone and take care of Mama. Make sure you listen to her and don't give her a hard time, you hear?"

Felix's lips however, did not; as they twisted into a frown. He wiped off the tears that rolled down his cheeks with the sleeve of his right arm.

"But promise me!" Felix continued, "Promise me you'll come home soon! Promise me that you'll be with me and Mama even after the war!"

The man lifted off his hand from Felix's shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

"…I…I can't promise you how long it will take Felix. _War ends only when the men choose it to end. _But**, I will promise you that I will come home**. That I'll be right next to you to see you grow up and become a big, strong man; bigger than your father in fact." he reassured.

Felix sniffled. "Really? You really promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay, but…don't lie to me! Or I'll be very, very mad!"

The man smirked. "Of course not. Now come on; it's getting late. Let's go home and see what your mother has for us. I did hear though that she's making your favorite."

Felix merely nodded. The appetizing meal did help lift up his spirits, but only a bit.

"Papa?"

"Yes Felix?"

"**Are you going to be happy when you're going to go and fight?"**

Felix's father bit his lip; the question jabbing into his mind and heart like a dagger.

"…I'll be _proud_. Proud…because I'm fighting for my country."

_**"Why?"**_

The man stared at Felix for a few seconds; trying to find a good answer appropriate enough for his son to understand.

Then, he pointed to the sky.

"You see the planes up there? The ones making those fancy loops and twirls in the sky?"

"Yes Papa. I see them."

"Well…" the man paused for a few seconds. Then, he continued: "…imagine _**us.**_ The British, as those…"Steambirds" they like to call them as nowadays. We fly and soar through that blue, blue, sky, because we are free to do so. Free to spread our wings and take it all in. But then, we have the bad, German planes that come and try to shoot us down so they can take our skies. That's why I'm fighting; I'm going to be one of the planes that try to keep the sky we love. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

In all honesty, the young boy could only comprehend so much, and would've shaken his head. But his father was clearly putting a large effort into describing the adult phenomenon that echoed across Europe.

Felix slowly nodded.

Thinking that the message actually went through, the man grinned as he stood up from his kneeling position.

"Alright. As long as you understand. Let's go."

Felix said nothing as he held his father's hand in silence while they walked off. Years later, Felix regretted the fact that he never truly asked what his Papa meant. **And he never could afterwards.**

_**Because Papa never came home.**_

* * *

_"FELIX!"_

Gasping, Felix snapped himself out of his small flashback. The poison was strong; Felix still felt his midsection burn as if it was being blasted by a blowtorch.

"…I'm fine…" he finally managed to say with a painful exhale, "…I'm still alive…"

_"Felix, you MUST focus! That one small mistake nearly got you killed alone!"_

Felix made a deep gulp as he placed his hands back on the lever that controlled his aircraft.

"…Right. Focus." He repeated.

More bullets left the Looper as he decided to go for the large Spotters that were closing in on him. Thanks to the insanely-rapid firing rate packed into the British-made plane, Felix tore through the German forces like paper. But the numbers were against him; every turn he made after clearing out one area, another would be covered with hostiles.

The General knew that this sight would make even the strongest-willed of men lose hope. But he had to make sure Felix kept it; it was the only thing other than the steam engine that kept his plane running.

_**So, he decided to motivate him with news as to how every second he was up in the air was making a difference every once in a while.**_

* * *

"_Manchester has been evacuated. It's citizens will spread your legend far and wide."_

"_The Australians have welcomed 50,000 of our citizens! Give them time to flee!"_

"_Coventry has been evacuated. Its residents owe you their lives."_

"_500,000 citizens have been evacuated. You are their savior."_

"_Avonmouth has been evacuated; its bustling port is still and silent now."_

"_The actors of Palace Theater will entertain our citizens in other lands thanks to you."_

"_The hospital in Plymouth has been evacuated. Who will care for their patients now?"_

"_The markets of Cardiff are quiet; its people have scattered to the four corners."_

"_Most of Clydebank has been evacuated. The town drunk wouldn't leave."_

"_The Royal family has been spirited away to Jamaica. The Queen thanks you for your sacrifice."_

"_You've bought enough time to evacuate Oxford; the faculty are safe!"_

"_One million citizens have been evacuated so far. You have exceeded all of our hopes."_

* * *

The General made the right choice doing this; for some reason, Felix fought harder than he did before with every update. It gave him pride; the fact that just like his father, he was fighting for the one thing the British loved more than anything else: **their country.**

But then, there was one line that got to Felix:

* * *

"**The city's orphanages have been evacuated. Those kids will never forget you."**

* * *

Something inside of the pilot shattered as painful feelings of the past returned. However, he quickly suppressed those thoughts.

**London will disappear beneath a poisonous cloud the moment he stops fighting.**

"_**The first wave of the Axis' armada has arrived. Heaven help us."**_

* * *

"You think you're so much better than me, huh Finlay? Just because you got higher marks means nothing!"

Cadet Finlay turned to the rambunctious comrade that would always come up to him after an exam; Cadet Augustine. Felix would always fail miserably on the examinations, whereas Finlay would pass with the highest grades in the training platoon.

"What the Hell do you want now, Augustine?" he questioned with annoyance.

"Don't: 'What the Hell do you want now' me, Finlay! You just can't help but show yourself off, can't you?" Felix angrily retorted.

"Well why shouldn't I? I did work for my marks after all, and they surely reflect how much time I put into my studies, as do yours." Finlay said.

"It's absolutely putrid; stop acting like some kind of miracle of God and stop being so arrogant about it! You're making me sick to my stomach!" Felix continued.

"Oh, really?" Finlay rhetorically asked, "…and I'm assuming you didn't do well on this exam _either_? Speaking of which, what did you receive this time around?"

With that last sentence, Finlay tried to steal a peek towards Felix's test. Felix however, pulled away fast enough before he could even get a glance at one question.

"That's none of your concern." Felix muttered.

"Just as I expected." Finlay said, "Your grades keep sinking lower and lower down the latrines. **Hell, I'm wondering whether or not they're going to have to make new numbers just because of your test results, Augustine."**

Felix narrowed his eyes. "Oh belt up, Finlay. It's not like you're any different even with these stupid examinations; _we're both Cadets_."

Finlay chuckled. "On the contrary, actually. It turns out, the General is going to promote me to _Second Lieutenant._"

A shocked silence pierced the air. Then, Felix finally managed to whisper a single word from his mouth:

"…What?"

"You heard me right, _**Cadet.**_ Looks like I beat you to it. From now on, _you're_ going to be the one saluting _me_ when we pass the halls." Finlay stated.

Felix pursed his lips; a burning flame of anger and envy ignited into him.

Seeing that he had devastated Felix enough, Finlay stood up from his seat.

"Well! It's best if I get going now! I must receive my new uniform after all!"

Felix was still left frozen from where he stood.

"Best of luck Felix; I'm sure you can make it to **my** level…by the time I become a General myself, that is." Finlay finished with a nasty grin plastered to his face.

As if he wasn't infuriated enough, Finlay somehow managed to touch his nerves even further. The Cadet was literally shivering in rage as he watched what would become his higher officer leave the door of the room. Had he not restrained himself, he was certain he would've pounced onto Finlay and tore off his face.

"_**...Finlay, you goddamn blunt…"**_

* * *

**Felix had no idea what he was doing anymore.**

His head was spinning from the rotations he kept making and from the toxins that were still spreading throughout his body. A few minutes ago, he was downing German pilots like there was no tomorrow; almost as if he was some kind of fighting genius.

Now, he felt as if he had a horrible case of vertigo.

Even though the General did his best to motivate the scout, it was clear that he was getting sloppier and sloppier by the minute. With every four kills, he'd take a few shots himself from all different angles.

The General's words had started becoming faint to his ears. Felix looked down; seeing the chaos that ran amuck London. The streets that were once seemingly filled with scattered people were now eerily empty, but instead, were showered with the metal German planes that fell from the sky.

Felix knew that any man would risk everything for such glory. They would kill all of the Germans and laugh with every plane that fell from the sky.

**But he had no reason to laugh. His country was in pain. His people in pain. **

**And he himself was in pain.**

Clouds began to gather as rain drizzled over the blasted lands below. Thunder roars in the distance with artillery. _There is little hope for sunlight today._

_"…Well, you did it, you crazy son of a gun. Nearly all of London has been evacuated. You are truly an angel of mercy."_

Felix sulked back down in his chair as he closed his eyes. A single cough escaped his lungs from the aftereffects of the toxic gas; aftereffects that would most likely never go away.

"Is it over, General? Please for the love of God; tell me it's over…" Felix begged.

_"Aye, it should be. The Germans have nothing left to destroy; they'd have lost their minds if they thought there was any point left in this massive genocide."_ The General confirmed.

Felix sighed in relief.

_**Finally.**_

"Shall I return to the ground?"

_"By all means."_

Complying, Felix turned 180 degrees back towards the runway. He grinned.

**He was now a**_** legend.**_

_** …**__But once the Looper had made its full turn; that grin vanished._

"…Sir…what's _that_ in the distance?"

From the ground, the General turned to where Felix's aircraft was facing. **And what he saw nearly made his heart stop.**

The gray rainy clouds began to spread apart for the massive armada of planes it shrouded.

_**The Germans weren't finished just yet.**_

_"No...no, no, no; they have nothing left to fight for! London's been evacuated; what's left to destroy!?"_ The General yelled in awe.

Felix sat in silence for a few seconds, but then gave his higher-up the most obvious answer of all with a single word:

_**"...Me."**_

The General's jaw slightly sagged.

So that's it?

That's what the Armada was fighting for; **a single plane and its pilot to join their many comrades?**

_"Cadet, get down here. You don't have to do this; you've gone far enough."_ The General ordered.

Felix shook his head; realizing that the choice to either live or die was no longer his.

It was destiny.

_He would be the last serving on Death's plate._

**"No." **He simply replied.

_"Cadet, don't act brave! This isn't your battle anymore; the Germans have taken this too far! There's nothing left to die for, so listen to your commanding officer and-"_

**"…Mark."**

The General stopped midway in his sentence as Felix mentioned his first name. It was a disrespectful act, but in this case, Felix was basically telling him to shut it.

**"…Maybe I have done my job. Maybe this battle really is supposed to be over. But I will **_**never**_** forgive myself for retreating against the Germans. Not even if I saved the whole **_**world**_**. These skies…**_**our skies**_**; are ours and ours alone. And the Germans will NOT have it as long as I'm still here."**

The General rubbed his face with both hands; disbelieving that all of this could possibly be happening right now.

**He had to know one last thing though.**

_"…Why? Why are you still doing this? There's __**nothing **__left for you to die for. Are you really going to just let them take you like this? What good will committing suicide do?"_

To the General's surprise, **Felix laughed**.

"General, you know damn well that I really am dying for nothing anymore. I'm not just fighting for my people nor my country. I'm fighting for the one thing my father died for as well; the one thing I won't let the Germans take away from me, even if they force down all their poison gas into my lungs."

_"…And that is?"_

Felix looked up; a glint of light flickering across his eyes.

_**"…My freedom."**_

The German Armada was now in position. A shower of bullets flew at the Looper.

* * *

'_...If I can get one wish…'_

'…_To come true right now, I want a pair of __**wings**__…'_

* * *

The General could only watch as the massive sea of projectiles swarmed towards the young pilot. Only two words could leave his mouth in his state of shock.

_"My God."_

There was nowhere to escape, as Felix could only watch the shots charge at him.

* * *

_'…Please put white wings…'_

'…_On my back like a bird's…'_

* * *

Felix held onto the lever in his seat tightly; almost as if it would help block the sickening sound of metal bullets flying and piercing through his metal hull.

_**It didn't.**_

**The backside of the Looper was now on fire; nearly dead.**

* * *

_'…I want to spread my wings…'_

_ '…And _**_fly_**_ in this sky…'_

* * *

Felix flipped over the switch he used for firing and saw a smaller, red button underneath it.

**It was a bomb; strong enough to take out any of the planes within a 50-mile radius…including his own.**

With no haste, he pressed the switch; closing his eyes and awaiting Death to take him away from this Hell.

Felix opened his eyes when he realized nothing was happening. But it didn't take a genius to figure out _why._

_**It was jammed.**_

The only way to bring the bomb into the German fleet now, was to _bring it to them._

So Felix pushed his lever down slowly; jamming it harder to accelerate even faster.

And then, for no reason, he just started **screaming**.

* * *

_'…I want to make my wings flutter…'_

_ '…In a free sky without sorrow…'_

* * *

Again, a second swarm of bullets were fired from the Germans; nearly blocking out the sun from down below. And again, they scraped against Felix's plane as it slowly began tearing apart.

Felix on the other hand, was still yelling from the top of his lungs like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, the fact that he was hollering like a maniac was pushing him forward.

* * *

_'…That thing I dreamt of as a child…'_

_ '…I still dream of it, unchanged, now…'_

* * *

The Germans on the other end were shocked as to why this lone, British pilot was screaming and charging at them like a madman. However, that didn't stop them from retaliating with their own gunfire.

The Looper took every hit.

* * *

'_…I want to spread my __**wings**__…'_

_ '…And fly in this __**sky**__…'_

* * *

Felix cut through the massive battalion; dodging every plane nearby with the best of his ability. He didn't know how it was probable that his plane was still even flying, but he sure wasn't going to just waste his chance.

Then, he saw his goal; **three monstrous Behemoths in the center of it all.**

It was only then; once Felix had finally made it to the three large blimps that fired at him as well, once the engine of his plane had finally burst, and once he began to descend down from the Heavens…

_**…That he closed his eyes; saying his last ten words.**_

* * *

_'…I want to make my wings flutter…'_

* * *

_**"Papa…did I protect our skies…just like you said…?"**_

* * *

_**'...In a free sky without sorrow."**_

* * *

There was no other way to describe the explosion that followed afterwards, other than _**hellish**__._ The Looper managed to cut through a few meters into the first Behemoth until exploding; _triggering the single bomb and the remaining missiles stored in it._

Whatever planes that were nearby the Behemoths were obliterated into ash; as the large aircraft Felix crashed into caused a chain-reaction of explosions that were visible to almost all of London; skies set alight into flames.

Planes fell from the sky faster than flies; raining down on a deserted London like bombs of their own. Then, finally, the Behemoths slowly crashed down as well, as their massive chunks of metal decorated the battle-torn ground.

The General pulled off his cap; as he stared at the unholy destruction over London. So many families will never see their sons again.

**But so many families will still live on as well; thanks to Felix.**

As planned; the remaining German planes in the sky; somehow escaping Felix's onslaught, gassed the shambles which were once known as the great crown of the British empire; London. But it was a hollow victory, if not, even a _**defeat**_ for the Germans. With a single plane; Felix had done the impossible. He tore apart a large chunk of the dreaded armada and weakened its force and morale _exponentially_.

Although the Americans and Canadians never came in as support to such a crucial battle, all the General had to do was to regroup with them and _**retaliate.**_And after this massacre, it could prove to be an easy victory.

_**All the General had to do was to carry on the torch of war Felix had dropped.**_


	2. Epilogue

**____****Over the Skies of London: A Steambirds Survival One-Shot, **Part Two: **EPILOGUE**

* * *

_**October 15**__**th**__**, 1947: Augustine Day**_

* * *

A man; grown old from the once youthful years he lived back in the Second World War, began walking over to a large statue situated in the heart of Liverpool with a bouquet of flowers in his hands and his old army uniform for remembering the occasion. The statue; the legendary Looper-P200 used exactly seven years ago to cripple the German Armada and saved nearly the entire populous of London, already had a sea of flowers by its side from the families that still lived. From the families that owed their lives to Felix Augustine; a hero who fought and died for them.

The man knelt down; reading the plaque that was placed beneath the statue:

* * *

**"**_**HERE STANDS THE STATUE DEDICATED TO FELIX AUGUSTINE; THE LONE CADET WHO STOOD AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMADA, SAVED THE PEOPLE OF LONDON FROM GENOCIDE, AND SHOWED THE GREATEST DISPLAY OF PILOTING ANY ENGLISHMAN HAD EVER WITNESSED. MAY HE BE REMEMBERED BY OUR CHILDREN, THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN AS THE BRITISH IDOL OF HEROISM, BRAVERY, AND COURAGE. WHEN THE CLARION CALL OF HISTORY ASKED: 'WHAT CAN ONE MAN DO?'; HE IS OUR ANSWER.**_**"**

_** 23**__**rd**__** of March, 1915 – 15**__**th**__** of October, 1940**_

* * *

And that was all. As strong as those words sounded; to the old man, they were seemingly so…_empty._ They said much, but failed to truly hit what the great pilot Felix truly stood for.

Once he bent over to leave the flowers he held and saying a silent prayer, another man had approached him; one far more in his prime with a young boy grabbing onto his left hand and his own bouquet of beautiful flowers in the right. He on the other hand, wore normal clothing although he too was originally a veteran.

"Papa, who's that?" the young boy asked.

The father acknowledged his son, however, maintained his stare with the elderly veteran.

"An old friend." He simply answered. Then, with some doubt plaguing his heart, he continued, "…Stephen, will you please go to mommy? Papa would like to be alone for a moment to himself."

The young boy, who was evidently Stephen, nodded. "Okay!"

The old man watched as the child joyfully dashed off; blissfully unaware as to how the entire holiday had so much to do with his own father.

Then, the elder smiled. "You have quite the handsome boy."

"Thank you." The younger man replied. But the hidden negativity in his voice was clear.

Sure enough, he paid his tributes as well by leaving his flowers next to where the old man left his. Then, staring at the statue in front of him for a few seconds or so, he turned away.

"You're not going to say anything else back to your superior officer, _**General Finlay? **_It has been quite a while since we've met face-to-face after all."

Finlay stopped in his tracks and slightly turned his head behind him. **"Don't call me that anymore, Mark. I don't want anything to do with that god-forsaken War."**

The old man, who was the same General that aided Felix in his final battle the whole time, crossed his arms in suspicion.

"Oh? And why not? You were promoted all the way to _**General**_ in the war after all; you should be proud for serving your country well. In fact, I remember you being the loudest one when it came to fighting the Germans; always being the first to cry out war chants into battle." Mark insisted.

Finlay clenched his fists. "That was when I was half out of my mind. When I thought shooting down a German would be the greatest honor to your own country. But then, I realized: _**it wasn't.**_ You, me, and all the other soldiers that fought in this war, whether they were British, German, American, Canadian, or Japanese, are all **murderers**. The only reason why we aren't being trialed for our sins, is that we fought by the sound of trumpets."

Mark stood silently, knowing that Finlay had more to say than just that.

"You know what I saw when I went to Germany? The buildings, the people, and their hope; **destroyed**. There was nothing left in them as we rushed in; even their _**eyes**_ were so…_devoid_. Devoid of life. And we, the Allies, are to blame for that; even if we fought just to defend our own mother countries." Finlay explained, "That's why I want nothing to do with this war anymore. I don't want to remember I was a soldier who killed the sons of so many families, because I want to go on living with just my own to worry about."

And with that, Finlay began to leave once more, until the old General stopped him.

_**"As true as those words are, I doubt that's why you refuse to converse with an old comrade. There's something else you disliked in the past; something that you seem to fail to appreciate. And I know exactly what."**_

Finlay narrowed his eyes.

"You've apparently lost your mind after the war, old man, because you're **dead wrong**. And even if you were right, then there's no way in Hell you would know anything about me to such an extent." Finlay countered.

"I see," Mark said, "…then if that's true, why is it that you've never mentioned the most important person of this entire war and _today_ _**once?**_** Why is it that you're trying to avoid the most obvious person of all: Cadet Augustine?**"

"I refuse to talk about such matters."

Mark frowned. _**"You don't have a choice. You owe him your LIFE, and like it or not, you are going to say everything on your mind; all the negative feelings that have jaded your heart, about Felix Augustine, right here, and right now in front of his own memorial. Do you know how horrible it was for him? We couldn't even recover his BODY; that's how much he suffered. So as a final offering; an offering far more valuable than all the flowers we've tossed over his statue, you are going to say everything you must about Cadet Augustine, even if you two were the bitterest of rivals."**_

Somehow, this entire order angered Finlay, as he quaked with anger.

"…You want to know what I think about him? Fine; here's what I think: _**Felix was the dumbest fool in the War, who died in a battle that he shouldn't have fought in. Do you know what I think of myself now? I think of myself as a COWARD; a coward for letting a soldier who was a lower rank than me to go into battle and die; even if it was Felix. Because every time I pass by here and leave flowers; I have to remember the fact that on that day, it would've been ME, and not HIM. That the reason why we couldn't even 'recover his body' was because I didn't try hard enough to actually stop him with his goddamn suicide mission."**_

Then, turning around, Finlay continued in a much louder voice:

_**"I don't want anything to do with the Allies, the Axis, and especially FELIX. Why can't you just understand that? Felix had no reason to go out there and die for us; nobody barely even tried to help the damn guy; including me. So what's the point of remembering him for? What's the point of remembering a dead soldier? Becoming a memory might mean something, but I don't see why I have to keep bringing back up all this pain every year I think about him.**_ _**Otherwise, Felix is just a CURSE to my life."**_

Mark stared at Finlay for a few seconds; anticipating that he would say something else after this. But when the silence signaled that it was his turn to say something, he sighed.

"…At ease, Finlay. You should know that words are just as worthless as memories." Mark advised.

Saying nothing, Finlay closed his eyes and took a deep exhale to stabilize his emotions. Then, once he opened them back and looked at Mark, he realized that the ex-General was looking up at Felix's statue.

_"…Do you want to hear something interesting about Felix, Finlay? Something only people who had access to his profile knew?"_

The words were irresistible to deny. Finlay never knew much about Felix as Felix never knew much about him; the two were pretty separated during their time together.

So, as expected, he nodded.

"…Felix…was a surprisingly average child when it came to his youthful years. He was born in a very simple family; a father and mother respected in the community. Never too rich and never too poor; exactly in the middle of the social classes. He was undeniably…_**average.**_ Well, that is to say...for the first four years in his life."

"The first four years?" Finlay questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Mark nodded. "Just before Felix was going to turn five, his father was _**conscripted**_ into the army. That was around…1919, I believe? Somewhere along those lines, but nonetheless; Felix and his mother were separated from his father after he was conscripted to what we now refer to as the Russian Civil War."

Then, with a dark and serious look on his face, Mark turned to Finlay.

_"Can you guess what happened afterwards?"_

There was no need to even 'guess'. Anyone would realize where such a story was leading to.

Seeing that Finlay got the point, Mark continued, "Just like Felix; **his father's body was never found. **It was probably lost during a battle; the snow covering over the body after a blizzard and burying him where nobody could possibly find it."

"Needless to say, the news as to what happened was delayed. There were so many causalities and so little time to tell the families back at home about them. Once they reached Felix's father however, it was _**three years**_later than when the incident actually occurred. And sure enough, his mother fell ill; her weak heart crumbling by the fact that she would see her husband no more."

Finlay made a small gulp from this. This was all too much to believe. Although annoying; Felix was one of the most light-hearted people he had ever met. The fact that he had such a dark history behind him was just…there was no way.

"You seem to be tense by this Finlay? Well _**save it.**_ It doesn't end there of course. Felix could do only so much on his own to help his mother. He was only _seven_, and worst of all, still grieving the loss of his father. Can you imagine how that must've been for him? Right after realizing his father was dead all these years, he was going to lose his mother too?"

Finlay couldn't.

"…It didn't take long though for Felix's worst fears to be realized. As much as his mother fought to live, she…could not recover from the blow his father's death set upon her, and perished in a month's time. Of course, with no parents or relatives, Felix had no choice but to be placed into an orphanage. For four years he lived a normal, happy life with his parents, like any other child should. But in a matter _three_, _**war managed to tear all that away from him."**_

Mark finished with that note. Everything else was history between Felix's time as an orphan and enrolling into the military as his only way out.

However, Finlay was still unsatisfied even with all this.

"…This whole thing…of course, it is a sad tale, but what does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with the fact that he pushed me off the plane that would seal my doom; taking my place instead?" Finlay asked.

Mark slowly revolved his head to Finlay; meeting him eye-to-eye. The old man's eyes were war-torn too; just like his own.

"…Isn't it obvious? Felix didn't just do it so he could just _**die; **_nor did he do it just for his country or the 'honor'. He did it for **you.**"

Those last five words struck at Finlay like an arrow.

"…What? Why? Why me?" he asked.

"…I'm not sure, but what I _**do **_know is that Felix knew what life you had ahead of yourself, what life your wife had ahead of her, and what life your _**son**_ had ahead of him. He fought and died so that you didn't have to; so that your family wouldn't have to crumble the way his did."

"But still!" Finlay began yelling with a quivering jaw, "But still! That doesn't _**answer**_ my question! I wasn't the only one who was supposed to fight that day; there were _others_ too! Others with families like my own! So why me!? Why did he choose me!? I was his _**rival! Like I said before; I never helped him, but in fact, I treated him like dirt! I treated him the WORST out of everyone else!"**_

Mark shook his head; chuckling at how naïve Finlay was acting.

**"…No. You weren't his rival. You were his **_**friend**_**."**

Finlay froze in place. Friend? The way he just described his actions towards Felix certainly didn't fall anywhere near the boundaries of _**friendship**_; let alone just being a good acquaintance altogether.

"…Finlay…you may have treated the Cadet like dirt, but…**you were really the only person he had left to connect to. **I certainly didn't have the time to focus on him, nor did the others in the platoon give _half_ a damn either. But you…you at least _responded_ to him. You were probably the first person who truly acknowledged his existence for _**seventeen years.**_ So even if you were his 'rival'…it may have been possible that Felix wanted to just have a person by his side; even if that person kept trying to shove him away." The ex-General finished explaining.

Something shock-waved down Finlay's spine after hearing this. He wasn't sure what that feeling was, but he clearly was left dumbfounded as to how he never seemed to realize the Mark's point of view. And the fact that the General; who "didn't have the time to focus on him", knew Felix better than the one person who was nearest to him most…made Finlay even more-so guilty.

With his mouth left agape, Finlay felt his arms go numb as they fell by his sides. He turned to the statue; looking at the large Looper as if Felix was watching him now.

_**"…Oh my God…"**_

With a curt nod, Mark saw his job was done. He simply patted on Finlay's left shoulder with his hand, twice.

_**"…Don't let Felix's memory die in vain."**_

And with that, he turned and finally left Finlay at peace. Finlay stared at what used to be his higher-ranking officer; the man now with a slightly hunched back and withered from war.

He remembered the time when Mark was once a seemingly-immovable, well-built fighter.

He remembered the time when he was always so cockish with his performance in the military.

_**And he certainly remembers the time when Felix always called him out on it.**_

Then, Finlay felt a small, gentle tug from his left pant leg. Glancing downwards, he saw that Stephen had returned; not even realizing it.

"…Papa?" Stephen began.

"…Yes son?" Finlay asked in a hoarse whisper.

"…Why are you sad?"

Finlay was a bit confused by this. "Hm? Why do you think that?"

"_**Because you're crying Papa."**_

Finlay blinked; not even realizing the tears that were going down his cheeks. He made a small laugh at how pathetic he must've looked to his son.

"…No. Don't worry Stephen. They're not tears. I've just got…something in my eyes. That's all. _**Papa's very happy that he's with you and Mama now.**_"

Content with this answer and believing his father, Stephen nodded. "Okay Papa."

"_**Alright. As long as you understand. Let's go; it's getting late. We're making your favorite tonight."**_

"Yay! And my favorite dessert too?"

"Of course."

"Woohoo!"

Finlay couldn't help but smile as he watched his young boy run to his mother's arm; the both of them carefree about all the things in the world. There was really no other scene better than it.

Then, just before he walked away from Felix's memorial; just before he was going to say goodbye to a rival…no…_**an old friend**_ once more, _he said the two words that everyone in London said to Felix every day they were able to live on with their lives._

"…_**Thank you…"**_

-END

* * *

_**Final Credits: **_

Original Concept: Based off of **Spryfox's **game: _**"Steambirds Survival"**_

* * *

Lyrics (From previous chapter): English translation of: _**"Tsubasa wo Kudasai"**_ _**("Give Me Wings"**_), featured in the movie: _"Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance"_

Written by: Sanjou Michio  
Composed by: Murai Kunihiko  
Arranged by: Funayama Motoki and Sagi Sushirou  
Performed by: Hayashibara Megumi

* * *

**_IMPORTANT NOTE:_ *Certain quotes/lines from the story, such as those where the General in the previous chapter gave "updates" as to who was evacuating London while Felix fought off the German Armada, were based off from the quotes shown in every wave of Spryfox's game: _"Steambirds Survival". Also, ALL EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THIS FANFIC ARE CLEARLY FICTION._**

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! For those of you new readers who just came by to see the Steambirds fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did when I was writing it! This was something I've been _**dying**_ to finish for a while, and I was guilty of not finishing it from **April!** But now, I feel confident about uploading it (since my writing has certainly improved from then), so yeah! I've put my best into this for the past week!

And as for those of you who are my usual readers for my Madness Combat series, I hope you'll understand that I wrote this just because:

**One:** I wanted to do something different for a change, since it can get boring just writing about the same damn topic over and over again.

**Two**: I DID promise to some people at a forum that this one-shot (which kinda became a bit longer than I originally thought it would), would be done. I actually left it on hiatus since April because I had to focus on my other fanfics, but I've been feeling really guilty that I gave up on this idea, so I gave it my all these past few days to finish it! I hope you guys at least enjoyed this too, and don't worry; I'm still working on my Madness Combat saga! The next chapter of _Never Forget_ is at 13,000 words, and counting, and should be done by tomorrow, and _Hank's Legacy_'s next chapter is almost done in the planning stage!

So yeah! Thank you all for reading this! "Steambirds: Survival" was a big game to me back then (since this was literally the ONLY decent game that works on my school computer…), and kept me from dying of boredom in school! I really want to give a big special thanks to Spryfox and all the developers that worked/is working hard on all these cool games! You guys rock, so keep it up!

Anyways, enough chit-chat. I must start doing my weekend homework now (because, you know…high school), and I'll be working on my Madness Combat fanfics along the weekend! Thank you all so much; both new fans for dropping on by, and old fans for being so patient!

I hope you guys enjoyed this fanfic, and as always, have a good night.

Later!

~Spirit9871


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